New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-08
NEW NOVELS.
ALL SORTS AND QUALITIES.

THE kDSI1 IlNthGlN. Ailcr ".
Kokhanovsky. BY NJ NJ S. and J. l. T.. 12mo, PIP.
299 Boston: d. Lothrop & Co.
THE BUCHHoIz FAMILY. Second Part By JULIUS
sTISDE Translated by ]. Dora SchmiL lZmo' PIP
2i3 Charles Scrbners Sons
WOODLAND TALES BY julius sTrNDE 12mo, pp.
190 Thomas Whitaker
MR. BARNES OF NETWORK BY ARclITBND CLAvER-
ING GUNTER l6no. PIP go Dcsnier "ech 70
THE OLD HOME AT SANDWICH BY JOSEPH HUT
TON. ID. Appleton Co.
"Knight Grant is in several particulars strong
novel. In the first place it breathes wholesome
and bracIng air of effort, duty and self-sacrifce
In the next place it is written in good English,
with conscientious regard for the rights of the
public. Nothing is slurred. everything that has to
he told in detail Is told Loyalty and carefully The
description is bright and sympathetic. The Italian
atmosphere in which much Of the story is cast Is
studied closely and the story itself is at once pecu-
lar and pretty. young Italian OF beautiful
character and person Is betrothed to n lovely Eng
lish girl at Naples where, or near to which city,
both reside Just the career OF this young couple
appears to be opening most smoothly aud brightly
great misfortune happens Young Donates
sister some years before ma1s runaway match
with her singing master, who has become
an operate impresario In his company IL n
baritone who has formed an attachment for the
managers wife, and as she is infatuated with nm
a scandal threatens. To save his sister, who is
sacrifice his own future. Ho throws MP his career
rs an advocate. and having fine voice conirves
to obtain The position III the opera company for
merly held by the baritone. The character of
Donate is perhaps daring experiment. for these
days of brutal matcrialIsm the introduction OF
man who really mOulds his life upon that OF Christ
IS liable to be received with ridicule; his
humility and self-renunciaton being taken for
evidences of eieminacY and poor-splrlted-
ness Tho robust English-spe liking Barbarian
may indeed be moved 10 excuse the author on
the ground that his hero IS an Italian, and there
fore lone of thos, forega beggars" who are oil
course 50 inferior 10 the Angl0-Saxon strain; brt
otherwise the type is likely to meet with little
favor, as how sh,ud it, seeing that the efforts OF
all the churches in Chrisendon to perpetuate ana
to reproduce it darng nearly two thousand years
have been so futile. Nevertheless Donate - beau
tiiul character and the story of his great renun-
citation is well told. with feeling and insight and
that ntuitonal grasp OF spiritual truths which so
few besides women possess IN these days.
"Amarylis at the Fair is called novel. but it
IL not that whatever 1t may be. IL Is rather
study of English country life in exceptional crcum-
stances Like all the authors writings 1t abounds
with keen observation Of nature, careful deScrip-
ton of woodland, vale and plain. and minute ont
door observation. Also II contains some quite
original and strong character drawing, and much
OF Mr.. Jeferets quaint philosophy, equally sag
gestive Of the Bohemian and the Hermit. IL Is
amusing to note no v, IN this Prohibition age, lie
calmly addresses himself to a stout eulogIum Of
strong ale, ascribng to the drink virtues
and capabilities such as will perhaps not
be parallecd elsewhere this side of the
middle age,. In Truth Mr.. Jeffcries seems to
entertain for old ale n velerlton scarcely inferior
TO that which inspire the sixteenth century dItty,
"Backaud side Go Bare Go Bare IisdivagItions
are all interesting, however. save perhaps To the
inveterlte novel reader, who insists upon regular
plot aud plenty of action. Neither VIII he hnd IN
Amaryllis. aud if sweet air AMI country scents ana
ouiet meditation over hummng tan kard of brown
October suffice him not he must 90 further aioot.
for here are no rules regulartiei. There Is, IN
deed, no end 10 the book. Tie aItnor ceases abb
ruptly on love sceae which would be
more interesting were not thc male prin-
cipal in 1t augniec city Bohemian, who.
having narrowly csc ipel dellridm trem'ns en-
ploys the first faint symptoms of convaleSceacc
in counting the healthy aud clear-eyed Amarylis,
and not 10 her di5 pleasure. Upon tho coming to-
gether of this Unmatched pair author halts half
promising q continuation. Let MS hope that II he
does proceed and MAKES mp his mind that a novel
shall finally issue from this Fragment, he will either
greatly amend the vital pro 3pects of his shaky-
handed hero. or deliver sweet Aniryilis from the
menace OF so unpromlsing partnership.
II is natural that in he present vogue of Russian
fiction want of discernment should lead to occa-
sional translation Of undeserying novels The
Rusty linchpin" and the other story bound M with
it are Of this character. There is nothing in them
to Justify their conversion INFO English. American
magazines print hundreds Of better short stories
every year. They are noticeable neither for acute
ness of observation originality of thought, novelty
of subject or anything else. Perhaps tho SIMPLE
fact hat they Russian may be enough for some
readers but the glamor OF foreign vehicle has
been thoroughly discounted by this time, and we
have already 80 many inferior novels OF our own
that little room can be spared for tho second and
third rate fiction of other countries.
The second part of the Buchholz Family" is GER
tainly not nearly entertaining as the first part
Perhaps Dr. Stinds had exhausted the vein; per
haps it was one which needed the lghtest treat
ment; whatever the explanation, tins second vol
ume comes perilously near to heayiness 1t is less
droll. whimsical sarcastic and natural than the
first letters There is some disquisition, aud it is
not always OF the most airy kind. In fact the in-
tcrest drags though there is still enough of the
shrewdness wit and keen vision winch made the
OF her volume 50 popular in Germany and secured it
so warm q welcome abroad Frau Buchholzis very
human in her ways, and especially in
her defects. 1t is interesting, too to
observe how little difference there is
between a Berlin mother-ln-law, housekeeper and
gossip and similar types in London, Paris. New
York, Boston. Chicago and San Francisco. Human
nature in short rises superior to nationality, and
asserts its unity despite the training of centuries.
| DR.. Julius Stindes Woodland Tales" are In a
very different vein from the Buchholz Family.
They are indeed remarkable for nothing, being fair
samples of the modern German short story, which
is less sentimental, more artistic and more practi-
cal thar in the days of Hoffman. Fichte Tieck and
Noyalis Your German cannot do without his BIT